Finally! It’s one of the best time of 12 months to go to San Diego.
Labor Day put a cap on vacationer season. Out-of-state license plates are nowhere in sight, the climate remains to be heat, and now the seashores are solely crammed with locals unwinding after a busy summer time.
As a seasoned San Diegan myself, one factor has grow to be clear — guests don’t know what they’re doing, and rightfully so.
I discovered myself in the identical pickle a few years in the past earlier than making the plunge to stay right here full-time.
“Which beach is best?”
“Is the San Diego Zoo worth the price of admission?”
“Where are the best tacos?”
“Will I die I if I cross into Tijuana?”
All of those questions are in quotes as a result of I’ve been requested time and time once more.
So, enable me to allow you to in on a secret…
You do not must observe the crowds to a bank-busting resort in Coronado, the place the seashore is usually off-limits due to bacteria, or snap seal-fies with La Jolla’s seals in the event you may even overcome the insufferable stench.
Instead, you may go to my favourite coastal stomping grounds situated simply north of San Diego correct, and it is largely missed by vacationers.
At Travel Off Path, we’re right here to let you know USA Today nailed it by highlighting none aside from Solana Beach as a must-visit hidden gem.
Where San Diegans Enjoy Beach Days Without Hordes Of Tourists
Look, with so many journey guides out there these days, I would not say that vacationers have not found the enchantment of Solana Beach.
What I can say is neighboring Del Mar, along with La Jolla and ever-so-trendy Oceanside, attracts way more of the aforementioned out-of-state plates than Solana Beach does.
And in the event you do see an Arizona or Nevada plate, it is doubtless they’re simply passing by way of to mark off the historic Highway 101 from their wishlist, with a few of Southern California’s finest views of the Pacific.
It’s extremely unlikely that vacationers are choosing Solana Beach. Not that it is unworthy — it simply does not obtain a number of hype, which is why it’s possible you’ll come throughout some well-known faces too.
In reality, well-known actor Scott Eastwood co-owns the Saddle Bar within the midst of a pleasant essential drag, and it isn’t unusual to see Blink-182’s Tom Delonge hanging out round city both when he is not knee deep in UFO lore, amongst others.
Postcard Shores Away From Tourist Magnets
They say magnificence is within the eye of the beholder, and I’ve had LASIK since my final breakup, so good luck to my ex’s new man.
I personally imagine Solana Beach has San Diego County’s prettiest seashores, and I’ve felt that method from the second I walked down the seemingly endless stairs on Solana Vista Drive at Tides Beach Park.
Surrounded by towering bluffs, hidden caves, and most frequently bacteria-free shores appropriate for swimming, browsing, and enjoying fetch with Fido (when the lifeguards aren’t wanting 😉), it is the closest factor to a textbook paradise in SoCal.
There’s virtually all the time room to sprawl out on a seashore towel, toss the pigskin round, and in the event you’re the sort to go for jogs alongside the seashore, there isn’t any want to fret about weaving out and in of crowds.
Unlike Mission Beach, which is by far a magnet for vacationers with seaside curler coasters and a buzzing boardwalk, Solana Beach is the proper spot to calm down in astounding surroundings.
Tides Beach Park is certainly one of many attractive seashores to scope out, nevertheless it’s personally my favourite because it appears like a hush-hush cove vacationers do not learn about.
Others to think about can be Fletcher Cove and Solana Beach County Park, holding a near-perfect Google ranking.
Plus, Solana Beach is among the few San Diego seashore cities and not using a flashy resort — it feels extra genuine, such as you see within the motion pictures.
You know — shaggy-haired skate boarders screeching sidewalks, chiseled lifeguards scanning the horizon, and hardly anybody carrying sneakers, so anticipate a soundtrack of click-clacking flip-flops (responsible as charged).
No one is in a rush right here…ever — and it is fairly refreshing.
San Diego’s Middle Ground: Day Trip Or Main Stay?
Solana Beach is simply 25 minutes from the newly revamped San Diego International Airport. If you are flying in, it isn’t unreasonable to make Solana Beach your base, even in the event you nonetheless plan to take a look at the world-famous zoo, the always-buzzing Gaslamp Quarter, and even make a visit throughout the border, the place I can all however assure you will not die.
Rather than lease a automobile and pay California’s sky-high fuel costs, you might additionally hop aboard the scenic Amtrak Pacific Surfliner departing from each San Diego’s Little Italy and Old Town districts.
There a couple of acquainted names in Solana Beach, however in the event you’re useless set on luxurious then it’s possible you’ll wish to go to Solana Beach as a day journey as Courtyard and Holiday Inn Express are one of the best choices throughout the metropolis limits.
Maybe take a look at my neck of the woods in Chula Vista because the model new Gaylord Pacific Resort is all the fashion!
As for meals, there are some superb choices in Solana and throughout San Diego. In reality, it is all the time humorous to overhear Dodgers’ followers speaking smack with a mouthful in enemy territory — the meals right here is bomb, resembling certainly one of my most typical hangouts, Pizza Port.
I gotta let you know about my 3 favourite eating places I’ve visited currently, all simply reachable from Solana:
Staying round downtown San Diego? Skip Little Italy’s meatballs for an unsuspecting shock — Michelin-recognized Cloak & Petal, a hip sushi spot on the sting of Little Italy’s essential drag.
Get the Notorious P.I.G. roll. You’ll thank me later. 🍣
Or perhaps you are craving a beachside dinner. Truth be advised, Mission Beach’s Miss B’s Coconut Club has higher Caribbean meals than anyplace I’ve been within the Caribbean, and it is steps from the seashore — plus they’ve grown-up dimension “Capri Sun”. Need I say extra?
But my most up-to-date new fave is in Oceanside, one other of San Diego’s underrated seashore cities. You gotta take a look at The Lobby Tiki Bar, mockingly serving as a foyer to Oceanside’s oldest constructing, which has been remodeled into the self-service Brick Hotel with an ocean-view rooftop you will by no means wish to go away.
Every chunk and sip was an ideal 10/10. Come hungry, go away joyful, and positively seize an Uber after ordering a Level-3 Painkiller cocktail (if ya know, ya know).
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